~ Money Isn't Everything~

by

Billie A. Williams

The trouble at Idle A While didn’t disappear overnight. Certain resident abuse was still reported to her throughout the day. If Jayde was gone from the night shift, how could it continue? She had no control over anyone or anything anymore, or did she? Mary began scrutinizing the list of workers on the night shift. Of course, Dolly Sweetig and Ebony Jane, Jayde’s right hand aids were still on staff. Did Jayde still have the power to manipulate their actions?

Mary knocked on Edith’s door. A look of disgust greeted her when she opened the door. “What is it?” Edit’s voice was as sharp as her glare. Her impatience was obvious.

“It’s about resident care.” Mary crossed the expanse from the door to stand in front of Edith’s desk.

“Sit,” Edith demanded. Mary was tempted to bark. Edith sounded like she was commanding a dog.

She put her pen down on the stack of papers she was signing and removed her thick glasses, laced her fingers together and plopped her hands on top of the stack of papers. “What about resident care? And make it quick, I have an armload of paperwork to fill out for firing Jayde.”

The way she said it Mary thought it sounded like she might fire her next. Mary knew it was easier to hire then it was to fire someone, but had never had to fill out the accompanying paperwork. “I think she still has her fingers in this pie.”

Edith bolted from her chair flinging the wheeled desk chair back into the wall with her sudden movement. The look on her face contorted from pain, to fear, to anger as she rapidly paced the office floor from desk to door and back several times. She seemed oblivious to Mary sitting there. She had the feeling Edith might bolt right out the door any minute and never return.

“I think it’s Dolly and Ebony,” she said testing whether Edith was capable of listening or at least hearing what she said.

A couple sharp raps on the door startled Edith and paused her in her worried pacing, “Enter,” she commanded her voice returning to her “in charge” demeanor.

As if cued by Mary’s accusation, Dolly and Ebony stood at the door with a neatly gift wrapped package. “From Jayde,” Dolly said.

“She’s sorry she upset you,” Ebony said her voice loaded with so much sugar it would overdose a non-diabetic person. Mary knew Edith was diabetic, and she worried the sugar in ebony’s voice was more toxic then real sugar would be.

They simultaneously glared at Mary. She could feel the hatred slice into her like needles in a voodoo doll. She held her ground and returned the glares with her own. She would not be intimidated by these two. It would never end if she was.

Edith accepted the brightly wrapped gift and closed the door behind the two women as they left.

Something wasn’t right. Mary sensed it. Either Jayde was looking to get back into Edith’s good graces, which she doubted, or—the gift was a bear in another guise. She nearly expected to hear the box ticking like a time bomb, whatever it was she was sure it wasn’t good. “Edith, I don’t trust that...” She began as Edith started to open the box.

“Oh, don’t be silly.” Edith carefully removed the wrapping paper and folded it before she cut the tape on the shoe box lid.

Mary held her breath expecting the worst.

Edith lifted the lid carefully and began removing the pastel tissue paper. She screamed and flung the box across the room. As it sailed a white rat impaled on a long handled sword letter opener fell to the floor with a clang. Mary gasped, but swallowed her disgust and went to put the poor creature back in the box.

“Don’t touch the knife, fingerprints,” Edith sputtered as she dialed the number for security.

Within minutes security was walking out with the dead rat and Dolly and Ebony had their walking papers. Edith didn’t ask, she just fired them. They would not be delivering anymore packages from Jayde or anyone, at least not to Idle A While. They protested that they had no clue what was in the box, but Edith wasn’t buying what they were selling.

Edith had started to tell Mary that her accusations about residents being abused was all her over-active imagination, but now she seemed to be taking her seriously. “It should all be cleared up now with those two gone,” she said. Her voice was subdued, nearly apologetic if Edith ever could be considered apologetic for anything.

Mary wondered if Edith was as leery of what Jayde might do next as she was. Until they were all locked up there would be no peace for any of them at Idle A While, Mary felt certain.